I am going through what many call, a quarter life crisis. Those of you who are in your mid twenties know exactly what I'm talking about. You finish college, or whatever you've done for your early 20's and all of the sudden you're supposed to have everything figured out: the perfect job, spouse, home. We've been programmed throughout our whole lives to strive for the bright light just up ahead, or at least follow it's steady illumination right towards happiness. Well, now, that brings us to the real question. Am i happy?
The answer in a nutshell is not so much. I know what I love, food food and more food. I do love more things then that; underground hip hop, scif-fi fantasy movies, lazy bbq days on the canal with the friends I've made in this sleepy fingerlakes town I currently reside in. But I have yet to form that love into a cohesive whole. And maybe, just maybe, my relationship is wearing on me. Not in the good way. So what I am considering is a change. A life change. A change so huge that I am almost as scared as I am excited. I think I am moving clear across the country to San Francisco. I know, huge.
I can't wait to explore a new city with new adventures and excitements around every corner. But I am terrified of leaving the safety of partnership, of coupledom. I must remember in times like these that no matter where I go, there I am. My cooking, my interests and talents, will follow me as well as the tendencies I wish to leave behind. Que sera, sera.
That brings me to the food topic du jour:
Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles.
Ee gads, can I just say yum?
These noodles are the prefect cross section of creamy spicyness. They abound with raw seasonal vegetables and can be prepared in about 10 minutes. I could eat this whole bowl myself. I shouldn't, but I could. And if I do seperate from my significant other I may get the leftovers that never seem to last when he's around.
I adapated a recipe from epicurious for this bowl of wonderment. The beauty is that the whole thing is completely open to interpretation, as all truly good recipes should be. The picture above has thinly sliced red cabbage and half of an English cucumber(soooooo good in asian noodles). You can use basically whatever veggies you want in whatever amounts you choose. I didn't ahve any greens onions for mine so I simply ommitted it. No problemJust don't change the sauce!! It's perfect. I swear.
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic (or to taste)
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce or sriracha
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons (or more) low-salt chicken broth
3/4 pound linguine or dried chow mein udon noodles (I prefer asian Soba buckwheat noodles, they are the perfect consistency and they don't get too sticky)
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Preparation
Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 3 tablespoons broth in processor; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water to cool and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add whatever veggies and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
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